Maritime professionals may face a variety of serious safety hazards on the job. The constant threat of going overboard is one of the most serious. All it takes is a slip or a foot tangled in a net for a worker to end up in the water and at risk of severe injury.
Even when other employees witness a worker going overboard and immediately intervene, the professional who fell could sustain life-altering injuries. For example, they could acquire a traumatic brain injury (TBI) because of the incident.
How can falling overboard result in an injury to a person’s brain?
Through blunt force trauma
When falling from an elevated location, such as the upper decks of a cruise ship or an oil rig, the water can be as hard as a solid surface. If people hit the water with their heads or strike the vessel with their heads on their way down, the force of impact could cause swelling or inflammation in the skull that results in a TBI.
Through oxygen deprivation
People who fall overboard often get knocked out by the force of impact. Even if they are conscious and try to swim, the weight of their gear or their injuries might prevent them from staying afloat.
Although co-workers may rescue them, they could have permanent injuries. Oxygen deprivation can cause damage to the brain in as little as five minutes. Workers who sustain brain injuries in a maritime environment may no longer be able to work their jobs. They may also require significant medical interventions.
Injured maritime professionals may have grounds to request compensation for maintenance and cure. Reviewing an incident that led to a maritime worker getting injured could help them evaluate their options and pursue compensation for the losses they sustained due to their dangerous career.